


Fraudulent

by CatsBalletHarveySpecter



Category: Darvey - Fandom, Suits - Fandom
Genre: AU, Harvey is a fraud, Senior Partner Mike, associate Harvey
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-07
Updated: 2019-09-07
Packaged: 2020-10-12 04:49:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 11,925
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20558510
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CatsBalletHarveySpecter/pseuds/CatsBalletHarveySpecter
Summary: The year is 2007 and senior partner, Mike Ross, hires his new associate Harvey Specter knowing he's a fraud. The new associate and senior partner's secretary, Donna immediately hit it off, but world's get flipped upside down when Harvey gets investigated. A Darvey AU. (And also a bit of a Machel AU)





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hi! This is the first AU I've attempted and this is an idea that's been bouncing around in my head for nearly a year now and I figured I'd give it a shot. I'm hoping it'll be anywhere between 10-20 chapters but we'll see how it goes!
> 
> As much as this is a Darvey AU, as I began outlining it i realized it also takes on a minor Machel AU (Hi Machel fans!) and I hope ya'll enjoy Chapter 1!

Pearson Hardman, June 2007

It had been a busy year at Pearson Hardman, one of New York City's greatest law firms and Mike Ross found himself staring out the window at the skyline as he settled into his new office. He'd been working at this promotion for years and he'd finally made it. He smiles to himself thinking about the etched glass that read, Mike Ross Senior Partner; it was about damn time. He'd been working at Pearson Hardman since he was a first-year associate, fresh out of law school and had spent the better part of the last decade as a junior partner. Now here he was, a senior partner before the age of forty.

His initial promotion to junior partner had been exciting, he finally received his own office and a secretary to go with it, the same secretary that now sat outside his new office, Donna. They'd been working together for the past five years and if he had time for friends, he'd like to think she'd be one. It's not as though the pair would ever spend time together after hours, but she was pleasant towards him and they got along well. God, he sounded so anti-social by saying that, if he had time for friends. It's not like he was so much of a workaholic all he did was work, but he also wasn't much of a womanizer. In reality, most of his free time was spent with his 5-year-old daughter, Claire. Her mother would drop her off on weekends and Mike enjoyed every second he got to spend with her, which unfortunately didn't leave him much time for a social life.

Interrupting his thoughts, the red head strolls into his office to tell him his afternoon meeting got pushed back an hour and he offers her a genuine smile before thanking her and flipping his laptop open, a notification popping up to remind him of his sister's birthday dinner later that evening. He makes his way over to Donna's desk and clears his throat to get her attention.

"You know we have the intercom for a reason, right?" she jokes.

"That's not very personal. Why would I use that when I can easily just walk out here and tell you in person?"

"I just wanted to make sure Sophie's dinner was in my calendar?" he adds.

"7 o'clock" she smiles up at her boss.

"Thanks Donna" he nods, before making his way up the hall.

She'd been working for Mike Ross for nearly six years and couldn't complain if she tried. He was an excellent boss who always went above and beyond to help make her job easier. He often refused to use the intercom because he found it impersonal and preferred to interact with her face-to-face, which she found refreshing in the world of corporate law. When she'd first been assigned to his desk, she was a bundle of nerves; according to the other secretaries, new junior partners always tended to be on a power trip, but she was so sick of sitting at the main reception desk she was willing to try anything. She'd lucked out because Mike Ross was perhaps the only corporate lawyer in the world who was not taken in by a title, rather he was humble and hard-working.

She knew life hadn't been kind to the man, his wife left him a year after she came to work for him and took their then year-old daughter with her. After years of battling it out in court she knew he now got to see Claire on weekends, which meant he never worked weekends or stayed late on Fridays, a fact that did not go unnoticed by the other partners. She felt bad for Mike, everyone at the office painted him as a snob who thought he was above working long hours when she knew the truth was he refused to miss out on time with his little girl. She doubted any of the other partners even knew he had a daughter, as he mostly kept to himself and didn't have many friends at the office. She had to hand it to him, despite the mess that was his personal life, he was one hell of a lawyer and an excellent boss.

"Mikeee" Jessica calls into the hall from her office, causing him to stop and peak his head into her open office door.

"Come in" she smiles, motioning for him to take a seat on the sofa.

"Was there something that you needed? Because I have a deposition to prepare for and …"

"We both know why I called you in here. I told you to hire an associate weeks ago and you still haven't done it."

"That's because I don't have time to mentor some kid."

"You do, and you will. Which is why I set up the interviews for tomorrow afternoon. And Mike, I mean it you better hire somebody, or I'll do it for you."

.

.

Harvey Specter had been studying his ass off to become a lawyer for the better part of the past five years. There was only one small problem, he couldn't exactly afford to go to law school. Despite working hours on end to try and save up enough for tuition, it seemed a family emergency or a sudden increase in rent would always yank away his chance to be a part of this year's law class. And so, he found himself sneaking into classes and reading textbooks along with the Harvard Law Class of 2007 every semester for the past three years. He'd enjoyed listening in, even if he had to hide in the back of the classroom and couldn't actually participate, he felt as though he'd learned enough in his three years to truly become a lawyer.

Some days, he forgot he wasn't a real student at Harvard and other days – days like today; the graduation day for the class of 2007, he was easily reminded that he wasn't really one of them. Moving back to New York for the summer, he was hoping to land an entry level job at any firm or clinic that would take him. Dressed in his best suit, he stops to grab a coffee from the cart on the corner of 53rd on his way to drop off yet another resume when he spots the folder the suited man in front of him had dropped. Picking up the folder, he helps the man gather the scattered forms that had fallen out, glancing briefly at the top form before handing the stack back him.

"A wrongful termination suit must be a tough one" he jokes as the man takes the forms from his hand.

"Boring, if you ask me" the man answers, paying for his coffee and stepping out of the way so Harvey can order.

"How can a case like that ever be boring?" he asks, grabbing his drink and moving towards the man.

"Let me guess kid, you aren't a lawyer?" the man laughs.

"Not yet, but I'm going to be" he smiles back.

He doesn't know why he does it, but suddenly the gears start turning when he hears the kid say he's going to be a lawyer and all he can hear is Jessica telling him he has to hire an associate. He can't pinpoint exactly why, but all he knows is he likes this kid, there's something different about him. He reminds him of a younger, less good-looking version of himself and he decides then and there that if this kid checks out, he'll be the newest associate at Pearson Hardman.

"Mike Ross" he sticks out his hand and introduces himself.

"Harvey Specter"

"So, Harvey Specter, you're going to be a lawyer, are you?"

"Well, it's complicated…" Harvey begins

"Why don't you take a walk with me and tell me what's so complicated about it."

.

.

"You want me to be your associate?" Harvey repeats Mike's words back to him, "Even though I just told you I haven't officially gone to law school?"

"Look kid, you're smart, you've attended all the mandatory classes, and at Harvard no less, and you're not like the typical stiffs they send us for interviews. If you want the job, it's yours."

"I'll take it" Harvey stares back in disbelief.

"Come by the office this afternoon and we can work out the details" Mike hands him a business card with the firms address and turns to walk away.

"Oh, and Harvey, your little law school stunt, that stays between us" he calls as he walks away, leaving Harvey alone on the street, business card in hand; the biggest opportunity of his career awaiting him.

Walking back to the office Mike lets a small smile spread across his face. He can't pinpoint exactly why he did it, but something about that kid screamed lawyer and he felt obligated to give him a chance. Maybe Donna was right, he was going soft and fell sucker to the kid's sob story. Maybe he was bored in his everyday routine and looking for some way to keep him on his toes, or maybe he saw something in the kid that reminded him of a younger version of himself. Regardless of why he did it, he had formally offered him a job and there was no going back now. He knew Jessica wouldn't approve of his choice of associate, but he'd never been a complete pushover and decided if he stood his ground on this one and made sure she didn't know he hadn't actually attended law school, that this would work itself out.

Harvey stays seated on a park bench sipping his coffee in disbelief as he watches Mike walk away. Did that really just happen? Was he really just offered a job as an associate at one of the biggest law firms in the city? He hadn't even gone to law school for god's sake. Well, okay, technically he had attended law school, he just hadn't been registered for it. He was positive Mike had been kidding until he began to quiz him on his knowledge of the law and asked him how he did on the LSAT's, then he began doubting that the guy was joking about offering him a job. He did have a pretty decent LSAT score, so he supposes it wouldn't hurt to swing by the address Mike had given him to see if this was a serious offer. If it wasn't, he would just move on with his day and pretend it never happened, because really, what was the worst thing that could happen if he showed up?

.

.

The elevator door chimes and opens to reveal a marble floored lobby, filled with well dressed people all seeming to be in some type of hurry. He stumbles out of the elevator, suddenly extremely aware of his own attire, a white dress shirt rolled to the elbows and grey pants, wishing he had thought to go home and grab a jacket and a tie before coming here. Waiting at the reception desk, he glances over at the silver letters lining the wall that read Pearson Hardman before the young women opposite the desk clears her throat and asks how she can help him.

"I'm here to see Mike Ross" he tells her while fiddling with the handle of his briefcase.

"Is he expecting you?" she eyes him curiously.

"Yes" he nods.

"Down the hall and on the right" she directs, turning her attention back to her computer screen without bothering to ask if he needed further help of clarification.

He wanders down the hall, peaking through the glass walled offices as he goes, watching as the residents of each office continued to work as he made his way past. He pauses to observe an empty office decorated like something out of a catalog, accessorized with pale blues and silver, not a paper out of place. This must be a female's office, he thinks to himself, looking towards the engravement on the door to see that he was right, it read Rachel Zane, Senior Partner. Continuing down the hall, a short balding man looks up from his desk and makes eye contact with him before proceeding to talk into something Harvey had never seen before, his eyes catching the name Louis Litt on the door as he turns a corner and heads to the right.

Down the hall, on the right, he repeats to himself, looking for anything that might say the name Mike Ross but instead he finds that the last room on the right appears to be a kitchen. He pops his head inside to see if he can spot Mike, but the room is empty except for a red head who's back is to him as she pours a cup of coffee. He's about to turn and head back up the hall when he hears her call out to him,

"If you're here for coffee, you're going to need to make a new pot."

"How did you…"

"Know you were there, it's what I do" she turns around and offers him a smile before gesturing towards the cupboard where the coffee is kept.

He's caught off guard by how beautiful she is, pale skin littered with freckles and piercing hazel eyes sitting behind an adorable smile. Before he knows what he's doing, he's made his way over to the coffee maker and begins brewing a fresh pot.

Once the machine starts running, he turns towards where she's pouring an absurd amount of sugar into her coffee, taking in the form fitting black dress she's wearing and smiles to himself.

"Do you need some coffee to add to that sugar?" he smirks at her.

"Let me guess, you're one of those guys who think it's manly to drink black coffee" she rolls her eyes as she brings her mug to her lips and takes a quick sip.

He reaches into the cupboard he saw her grab a mug from when he entered and grabs himself a cup, filling it with the freshly brewed coffee and taking a sip without adding anything.

"I knew it, you're one of thooose assholes who think they're better then everyone because they prefer their coffee black" she huffs.

"Can I be one of those lactose intolerant assholes instead?" he quips, taking another sip from mug and watching as she struggles to come up with a witty remark. When she can't think of a snarky comeback she turns to leave the kitchen when he calls out to her,

"That was fun, we should do it again sometime."

"We'll see" she smirks before strutting out of the kitchen, aware he would be watching her walk away.

.

.

"Mike, don't forget about the interviews tomorrow" Donna calls into his office.

"Won't be necessary."

"But Jessica said…"

"I know what Jessica said, I hired an associate this afternoon."

"From where?"

"We met at the coffee cart" he says, making his way over to her desk and leaning against it.

"You hired an associate you met at the coffee cart?" she stares back at him.

"Yup. There he is now" he gestures to the dark-haired man approaching her desk.

"Donna, this is Harvey…"

"Specter" he finishes, extending his hand to shake her outreached palm.

"Harvey, this is my secretary, Donna"

"We've had the pleasure of meeting actually" he says, a sly grin playing across his lips.

"Let's get to it, shall we" Mike gestures into his office and closes the door behind him, motioning for Harvey to take a seat across from him.

"Alright. First things first I've been thinking a lot about this" Mike begins.

"And you can't hire me" Harvey finishes for him, certain that was where this conversation was headed.

"No, now let me finish, would you? What I was going to say was I've been thinking, do any of the other Harvard graduates know who you are?"

"No, not by name anyways" Harvey nods, nervously folding his hands in his lap.

"Perfect, then we're going to go with this. You graduated from Harvard a few years back, went back home for a few years to help take care of a sick family member and then moved back to the city looking for a job, got it?"

"But I don't have any sick family members?" Harvey stares back at the older man.

"Well, you're going to pretend you did if you want a job as my associate without having gone to law school" Mike smiles back, proud of the plan he'd come up with.

"He what?!" Donna calls over the intercom

"Donna, you know how I feel about that thing" Mike sighs, gesturing for the red head to join them in his office.

"Were you listening the entire time?" Harvey asks her as she joins him on the couch.

"It's my job to listen" she answers with a smug smirk. Harvey looks to Mike to disagree but he only shrugs his shoulders in admittance that listening in on his conversations is in fact something his secretary does.

"You're not going to tell anyone, are you?" Harvey asks her, wide-eyed.

"Not if you play your cards right," she winks, "I like two sugars in my coffee, just so you know" she adds, crossing one leg over the other as she turns towards the new associate.

"Alright, if you two are done I have a meeting to get to. Harvey, you'll start first thing tomorrow. Don't forget you'll need a coat and a proper tie. If you haven't got one for tomorrow, you're welcome to borrow one of mine. Donna will get you my cell number in case you need anything, and she can also answer any questions you may have. I have a feeling we're going to make a great team" Mike smiles before reaching out and shaking Harvey's hand.

"Oh, and this little secret stays between the three of us, we're a team now" he beams, "Donna, do you mind giving Harvey the tour?"

"Not at all" she answers, not wasting any time she's nearly halfway down the hall by time Harvey realizes he's supposed to be following her.

"On the left we have the partners offices. If they aren't in their office they're probably busy, so don't bother waiting around. Down that hall is the partner's kitchen, associates don't get to use it" she turns and stares at him as they pass the kitchen they met in earlier.

"Oops" he mumbles and continues to follow her down the hall.

"That" she points to a large corner office at the end of the hall, "Is Jessica's office, she's the managing partner. Stay in her good books and you're golden, piss her off and you're in for a long few years."

He follows her across the lobby where she pauses to greet a few people in suits and joins her in the elevator where she presses the button for the 46th floor.

"So, what about you, what's your story?" he asks.

"My story?" she clarifies, turning to face him.

"Ya, you know mine and I want to know yours" he replies. Before she can answer the elevator chimes indicating they had reached the 46th floor and he follows as she moves from the elevator towards a large open area filled with cubicles.

"This," she points to a vacant desk behind him, "is where you'll sit. This is the bullpen where all the first-year associates live. Louis Litt oversees the associates, but you report directly to Mike, though Louis is pretty quiet so I can't see you having a problem with anything. Any questions?" she blinks up at him.

"Just one, how long have you worked here?" he smiles at her and plops himself down at his soon-to-be desk.

"About six years. Once I finished school in public relations I worked as a receptionist in the lobby before I went to work for Mike."

"Now, was that so hard" he smirks and tosses her an obnoxious wink.

"Do you always flirt you women you just meet?"

"Only the beautiful ones. You thought I was flirting with you?"

"I know you were flirting with me" she struts away, leaving him standing alone in the bullpen.

After catching up with Donna at her desk on the 50th floor Harvey asks if there is anything else he should do to prepare for his first day and she suggests getting some sleep while he can because once he starts work a good nights sleep will be hard to come by.

"What do you think of him" Harvey asks as he leans against her desk, "As a boss I mean" he clarifies, looking towards where Mike is making his way down the hall back towards them.

"He's as incredible a boss as he is a lawyer. Very fair, always putting others first, always playing by the rules. What he's doing hiring you, I'll never understand" she chuckles at the last part of her statement.

"Maybe he thinks I have potential" Harvey protests, folding his arms across his chest.

"No matter how much potential you have, I can tell you right now, you are trouble" she pokes a finger into his chest.

"Do you like trouble?" he raises an eyebrow at her playfully.

"Oh god. Alright, let's get one thing out of the way right now. If we're all going to work together, you've got to stop with the corny pick up lines."

"My pick-up lines are not corny!" he exclaims and is met with a dramatic eye roll.

"Alright, alright, for you, I'll stop" he concedes.

"Good. And for the record, I'm way out of your league" she flirts, as she strolls into Mike's office and places a stack of forms on his desk. Harvey watches as she walks back to her desk and then turns his attention to where Mike is now crossing paths with the brunette he saw this morning.

"H-h-hey Rachel" Mike stutters as they walk by the lanky brunette.

"Mike" she nods at him before turning into her office.

"What was that all about?" Harvey whispers to Donna.

"He's been in love with her since she moved here three years ago. One of the most brilliant lawyers I know but he forgets how to use full sentences around her" Donna answers.

"Aw, that's sort of sweet, have you ever thought of setting them up?"

"He'd never go for it."

"I wasn't thinking you'd tell him about it" Harvey beams while trailing after Mike towards the elevator.

.

.

As per usual, the next morning she's one of the first people at the office, which is why the coffee cup placed on her desk throws her off. She picks it up and notices something is written across the cup in marker.

2 sugars. Playing my cards right.

She shakes her head and takes a sip, she had to admit, that was smooth.


	2. Pearson Hardman, October, 2007

"Hey sweetheart, how's it going in the city?"

"That's actually why I was calling mom, I got a job."

"Oh honey, that's fantastic. Where?"

"At a law firm, called Pearson Hardman."

"What will you be doing for them?"

"I'm not sure yet, I've only had my orientation" he lies, he doesn't have the heart to tell her he's decided to commit to a life of fraud.

"I'm sure that whatever it is, you'll do great."

"Thanks mom!"

"So, have you made any friends in the city?"

"A handful. There is this one guy I work with, Cameron who I've gone out for a few drinks with, but my co-workers have all been really nice. And my boss, Mike seems like a decent guy, quiet but a good boss so far. Actually I have a pretty funny story about him, last week Donna and I were photocopying some files and Mike came in so silently it took us nearly ten minutes before we noticed him standing there. When Donna finally did notice him, it scared her so much she dropped all the files we'd just sorted!"

She's tempted to ask who Donna is but she knows her son and prying won't get her anywhere. Instead she makes a note to keep an ear out for more stories about her and tells him she's happy he's doing well. By the time they hang up he's told her three stories that involve a woman named Donna and each time he mentions her she notices his voice changed. Coincidence, she doubts it, but Harvey never mentions who the woman is to him, so she makes a mental note and decides to drop it until next time, which she's positive there will be.

.

.

It had become a ritual of sorts, no matter what time she came into the office, even if he was spending the day in court with Mike, there was always a coffee on her desk every Monday morning. Sometimes, she liked to see if she could beat him to the office, or catch him in the act, but even when she came in earlier he somehow always managed to have a warm cup on her desk. Sometimes he left small messages on the cup, and other times it was as simple as the coffee, but the gesture never failed to bring a smile to her face.

Harvey had been spending nearly every waking hour at the firm, learning everything he could from Mike, who as Donna had told him one his first day, was an excellent boss. He was always willing to teach Harvey and was encouraging when he didn't get something right away. Harvey head learned more in his few months at Pearson Hardman than he'd imagined possible to know in a lifetime.

The first few weeks had been rocky, but with the help of Mike and Donna, Harvey managed to win over Jessica and convince her he was the perfect associate for Mike. The other associates took a liking to Harvey immediately. They all bought into the story Mike had created for him about his time off after finishing at Harvard and though some of them were jealous Mike had selected Harvey to be his associate, overall the group was welcoming.

He won his first solo case after only being at the firm for a month and Jessica was elated and rewarded him by taking him out to lunch where he told her all about his time at Harvard (because really, he wasn't lying) and learned that she hoped to one day become a judge and leave her firm to Mike.

He and Donna had developed a good working relationship, if not a flirty one. The three of them spent late nights at the office working on cases, naturally causing them all to get closer. They didn't spend much time together outside of the office, expect for when they would run in to each other at the coffee cart down the street, but Harvey was beginning to crave spending more and more time with the red head. In private, she would often tease him about not being a real lawyer, and he would tease back that it was because he knew she liked her men rebellious. The flirting would escalate until one of them would say something a little bit too real and then it would die down for a few weeks before it picked up again.

Sometimes he wondered if she sensed it too, the charged energy that flowed between them when they interacted. More often than not he found himself wanting to hear about her day and he began to wonder if perhaps the thoughts weren't one sided. Every time he tried to work up the courage to mention it to her she made some comment about why it is a horrible idea to get involved with someone you work with because so-and-so broke up with what's his name from the 48th floor and now the entire office was a mess. And the cycle repeated. Eventually he decided it would be best to just ignore those thoughts and focus his energy on becoming the best associate at the firm. Besides, he was a first year associate, it's not like he had time to date.

What he didn't know was that Donna was having a hard time convincing herself that Harvey was bad for her. Yes, he was a tad bit arrogant, but he was charming and smart and that smile, she could write novels about that smile. They became fast friends which threw her off because she didn't click with many people on first meeting. She had always prided herself on being social but despite her outgoing personality she didn't have many close friends. Which is why her instant connection with Harvey came as such a shock. Something between them just clicked and she couldn't quite put her finger on it. Her inability to pinpoint what it was that drew her to him was also the reason she tried to maintain her distance.

What if she thought she had feelings for him when really all she was chasing was a closeness she'd always longed for? Plus, they worked together, what if things didn't workout? No, they couldn't have that happening now, it wouldn't be right. Mike hiring Harvey brought a whole knew dynamic to their group. Their once duo was now a trio and Harvey was the perfect third. She couldn't risk the good thing they had going in selfish pursuit of feelings she may or may not have towards a man she only met a few months prior. She decided it was best to ignore whatever it was between them and move on.

.

.

Late on sunny October afternoon, the three of them find themselves in Mike's office, Mike and Harvey going over some case files while Donna organizes Mike's calendar for the following week.

"Why don't we wrap this up a little early today? I know we all have to get ready for the firm's Halloween party and I want everyone to have enough time to do their hair" Mike says, directing the hair comment towards Harvey, which earns him a quick laugh from Donna.

"Is Rachel going tonight?" Harvey asks casually.

"Why would I know if Rachel is attending?" Mike asks.

"I just thought that well, she's single and you're single…"

"I appreciate the thought Harvey, I really do, but I am perfectly content with my love life the way it is, understood?"

"Understood."

"Great, I'm going to get going but I'll see the two of you later" Mike says while gathering his stuff. Once he's out of ear-shot Donna leans over and whispers, "I told you he wouldn't go for it"

.

.

This year's Halloween party was being held a few blocks from the firm at what Harvey predicted was an overpriced banquet hall. Upon arrival he realized he wasn't wrong, the room was absolutely massive and crawling with people in costumes. He takes in all of the decorative spider webs covering the lobby before checking his coat and making his way inside. The firm had gone all out, which again, didn't surprise him. The longer he worked there the more he was realizing that money was no object to most of these people. The room is well light and already packed with party-goers in an assortment of costumes ranging from a Power Ranger to Captain Jack Sparrow. Off to the left people are beginning to dance to some modernized version of Thriller so he turns towards the bar in search of a familiar face.

He spots a few of his fellow associates wandering in and waves to them, making his way to the far side of the room where he spots her laughing with a women he'd never seen.

"Don't you look nice" he says coming up behind her, "Never pegged you as a princess kind of girl."

He stares at her knee length pale pink dress, hair in wavy curls that perfectly framed her face and her outfit was complete with a silver tiara and matching silver heels.

"I'm full of surprises" she grins, "And you are?" she checks out his costume; overalls and red shirt with a large "M" logo over his chest.

"You're kidding me, right? I'm Mario."

"Ohhh. Now I see it."

"Just for that, you owe me a dance."

"I don't think that's how that works" she teases.

"Alright, then how about you owe me a dance because you want to dance with me?"

"What makes you think I want to dance with you?" her eyes twinkle with her question and it makes him gulp.

"I guess I'm just hoping that you do" he smiles, red rushing to her cheeks as their eyes meet, the tension between them suddenly too much and he feels the need to alleviate it.

"You could always tell people you're Princess Peach and we could make this a cute couples costume" he flirts in attempt to change the subject.

She brushes past him and pours herself some punch, "I'm pretty sure I've never actually seen Mario save the princess."

"Clearly you've never seen my video game skills" he steps towards her and leans against the bar.

"Harvey, there you are! There are some people over here I'd like to introduce you to" Mike says, directing him to a table off to the left of the dance floor.

She smiles at him and nods towards Mike, silently telling him to go with his boss. He sends her a small smile and reluctantly turns to follow Mike.

"Donna looks nice" Mike looks suggestively towards his associate.

"Really, I hadn't noticed..." he sighs, glancing over his shoulder to look back at her.

The next morning, he runs into her while dropping some case files on Harvey's desk, her hair still in loose curls that resembled the style she wore with her costume the night before.

"Where did you run off to last night?" he asks as he passes by her desk.

"I ended up grabbing some drinks with some of the other secretaries. Shame Rachel wasn't there so you could play matchmaker…How was that rest of your night?"

"It was good. I never did get that dance though…"

"That's probably for the best."

"And why's that?"

"Somethings are better left to the imagination" she answers, reaching for the ringing phone and shooing him away while she responded to the call.

.

.

A few weeks had passed and neither dared bring up their conversation from the Halloween party. Instead, they continued with the small flirtatious comments that toyed with crossing the invisible line they'd both drawn for themselves. Harvey is in the middle of teasing Donna for never having seen the classic film, Catch Me If You Can, and she asks him if he doesn't have anything better to do. A small high-pitched scream from inside Mike's office interrupts their conversation, and Donna realizes she'd completely lost track of who entered Mike's office because she was too busy flirting with Harvey; she really should try harder to focus.

"Dadddddyy" the small sandy blonde-haired girl bursts through the door to her fathers office and launches herself into his arms.

"Claire-bear" he greets scooping her up into his arms and making her giggle as he peppers her face with kisses.

"What are you doing here?" Mike asks while he places her back down on the ground.

"Mommy brought me because she has to go and check on grandma at the hospital" the small girl tells him before plopping herself down on his couch.

Mike looks towards the office door and spots his ex-wife staring back at him, nodding to confirm the words Claire said were in fact true.

"I hate to just stop by like this, but would you be able to watch her this afternoon?"

"You know I would do anything for Claire, absolutely" Mike says.

"I'll come by and pick her up around nine?"

"Sounds good. Oh and Katie, I hope your mother's alright" he offers her a small smile as a sentiment.

"Thanks Mike" she says before leaving his office.

.

"Who's that with Mike?" Harvey asks Donna as he leans over her desk and peers further into Mike's office.

"That," she clears her throat, "would be Katie, Mike's ex-wife and his daughter, Claire."

"Mike was married?! Hang on a second, Mike has a daughter?" he stares back at her in disbelief.

"We've been working together for how long now and neither of you thought to tell me about Mike's family?"

"It's not something he advertises" she states whilst typing.

"But she is pretty cute though, right?" she turns and watches as Mike bops Claire on the nose which sends her into a giggle fit.

Harvey clears his throat and snaps her out of her daydream with a smirk. "Wow, maybe I should start looking at him that way and he'll give me a raise" he raises an eyebrow as he calls her out on her staring.

"You're an idiot" she rolls her eyes.

"And you're drooling" he fires back. She thinks she detects a hint of jealousy in his tone but decides she's probably reading into things and doesn't mention it.

"I was looking at Claire" she clarifies.

"Suuure you were, and I graduated at the top of my class" he adds to prove his point. Before she gets the chance to make a comment Mike's calls them into his office.

"Dooonnaaaaaa!" Claire squeals as she runs to hug Donna's legs. "Can we play with your lipsticks again?"

"I think that can be arranged" Donna grins, squatting down to be at eye level with her.

"Harvey, this is my daughter, Claire. Claire, this is Harvey, he works with daddy" Mike introduces the pair.

Claire eyes Harvey from behind Donna and looks up at Harvey, "Hello Mr. Why is your hair so funny?" which causes Donna to double over laughing as Harvey subconsciously reaches to fix his hair.

"What's wrong with my hair?" he looks down at the girl.

"It just looks funny" she stares back at him doe eyed.

"I hate to do this but do you two mind keeping an eye on Claire? I have a meeting I'm supposed to be in and it shouldn't take more than an hour" Mike interrupts the hair integration just in time.

"Sure" they both answer at the same time.

"Perfect, Claire you stay here with Donna and Harvey and daddy will be back soon okay?"

"Okay" she grins up at him and waves as he leaves the office, leaving her alone with Harvey and Donna.

"Alright ladies, this has been fun but I should really get back to work" Harvey excuses himself and makes a break for the door.

"Where do you think you're going?" Donna calls after him.

"Back to work?"

"Nah-ah-ah, I have work to do too, who says you get to be the one to go back to work?" she challenges.

"I'm not a babysitter, I'm a lawyer"

"Technically, you're neither" she smirks at him.

"Ha ha. Very funny."

"I thought so" she smiles to herself proudly.

"Tell you what. Claire, why don't you hangout here with Harvey for a bit and I'll come back with some crayons and a juice box. Sound good?"

"Yaaaa! Common Harvey I can show you my toys!" she takes his hand and leads him to the bag next to the couch where she immediately starts unpacking her dolls.

"Really?" he mouths at Donna as she steps out of the office.

"Have fun" she winks as she struts out of Mike's office to go hunt for some colouring supplies for Claire.

.

.

She'd been standing outside of Mike's office, colouring supplies in-hand, for nearly 15 minutes, watching as Harvey played with Claire. She hadn't meant to stop and stare, but she'd been charmed by what she saw when she got back to her desk. Harvey was animating the voice of a small toy dragon who was making fun of the toy prince that was trying to save the princess doll. Every time Harvey would deepen his voice and speak as the dragon, Claire would burst into a giggle fit causing Harvey's smile to widen as he continued. Donna watched adoringly as Harvey proceeded to give the prince doll a hard time in his attempt to save the princess and Claire was eating up every word he told her.

"You look smitten" the brunette observes as she strolls over to her desk.

"Lauren, I didn't see you there" Donna mumbles, flustered to have been caught staring.

"How could you when you were so busy staring at the new associate with puppy dog eyes"

"I was..." the word not lingers between them, unsaid.

"Please, I've seen the two of you flirting, might I remind you my desk is right down the hall" Rachel's secretary gestures towards her own desk and then turns back to Mike's office.

"I don't blame you, he's cute" she adds, nudging her elbow into Donna's side.

"He's… I should bring these to Claire" Donna holds up the crayons and excuses herself from what she knows will turn into an awkward conversation with someone she doesn't know all to well.

"Look who's back" Harvey says as she makes her way over to them and joins them on the couch.

"I see you two are pretty busy, why don't I leave this stuff on the table for later?"

"You should play with us Donna!" Claire pleads, "Here, you can be the princess and Harvey can be the prince because I want to be the dragon this time!" she boosts, mimicking the dragon voice she heard Harvey do earlier. Accepting the princess doll Claire hands to her, Donna shifts in her seat on the couch opposite Harvey as he flashes a massive you're-not-getting-out-of-this grin; Claire seated directly in the middle but short enough the two adults can look right over her head.

"Okay so Donna, you're the princess and Harvey has to convince the dragon to let him come and rescue you, got it?"

"Got it" she smiles down at the girl.

"Mr. Prince you may not pass to save the princess" Claire says in her best dragon voice.

"But I have to save the princess" Harvey responses in a squeaky voice that again makes Claire giggle and Donna's heart soars at the sight.

"If you can tell me why you want to save the princess, then you can pass."

"I need to save the princess" he begins in his animated voice, "because I don't think I can handle a day here without her" his eyes find Donna's over Claire's head and he continues, this time in his normal voice, "Because she is incredible. And she is, by far, the prettiest princess I have ever seen."

His eyes stay trained on hers while he speaks, her cheeks reddening at his words, but she doesn't break his gaze. Instead, he swears he sees her lean in and stare at his lips. Having the world's most unfortunate timing, Mike strolls back into his office, whistling a catchy little tune.

"Daddy!" Claire runs towards Mike, breaking the moment Harvey and Donna were having. They both scramble off the couch and separate a good five feet.

"Did you have fun?" Mike asks his daughter.

"I love your work!" she exclaims.

"Why don't you thank Harvey and Donna for playing with you and we can go and get something to eat?" he says taking her hand.

"Thank you" Claire calls towards the pair. Mike mouths a thank you as he leads Claire out of his office, leaving a silent Harvey and Donna in a tension filled room.

"I should get to work" Harvey mumbles, excusing himself.

"Ya, me too" she says, seeing herself out after him.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

A few weeks had gone by and neither Harvey nor Donna dared mention the moment they (might have?) had in Mike's office while they were playing with Claire. Business continued as usual, Harvey continued to learn from Mike and the working relationship between the three of them continued to evolve as they spent an increasing amount of time together on Mike's latest high-profile client case.

Harvey still somehow managed to always have a coffee on Donna's desk first thing Monday morning; even that one Monday she knew Mike had taken him out of town for a case. She'd noticed each of the cups was labelled with a line from a song, and eventually began to write them down, realizing he was writing down lyrics from songs he thought she would like.

By the beginning of December, she had an entire playlist filled with music he recommended and much to her own surprise, there wasn't one song he suggested that she didn't enjoy. Her feelings for Harvey had heightened in the past month but she had made a promise to herself that she wouldn't act on them; it wasn't office appropriate. Besides, he probably wasn't interested in her, she was just someone who worked for his boss and it was easier for him if he was nice to her. At least, that's what she told herself when she found herself staring at him through Mike's glass door on several occasions. Sometimes she would get lost in a daydream and think that she should just man up and go for it, before the nagging in the back of her mind kicked back in and reminded her she didn't even know if he was single, let alone interested.

.

He had been leaving coffee on her desk every Monday morning since he began working with Mike and wondered if she noticed he was writing lyrics to songs he thought she would like on the cup. After their little moment with Claire, he considered asking her to dinner, but a comment Mike made discouraged him.

A few weeks after Claire visited the office, he and Mike spent all night in the library preparing for a case. Mike had sent Donna home hours prior and the two of them got to chatting about their personal lives. He told Mike about his family, how his father had left when he was young and his mother raised both him and his brother, Marcus, on her own. He told Mike all about his brother and his wife and his two nieces and about how his family had become even closer when his brother got sick in college. He's not sure why he told Mike so many personal details, but something about the guy was so honest and caring he felt compelled to share.

In turn, Mike ended up telling Harvey that his wife left him a few years back and now he shared custody of Claire, the hardest thing he'd ever experienced. Mike told him story after story about Claire and Harvey couldn't help but smile at how proud Mike was of his little girl. What struck Harvey the most was a comment Mike made as they were packing up to head home, when Mike turned to him and referenced his wife for the first time that evening.

"If I've learned anything from that whole experience, it's to never get involved with someone you work with, it only ends in heartbreak."

And with that, Mike left Harvey sitting alone in the library with a multitude of questions he knew would go unanswered. Mike's wife worked here? When? Maybe getting involved with a co-worker was a bad idea…

Now, as the snow began to fall in the early weeks of December, Harvey had decided it would be best if he didn't act on his feelings towards Donna. But, he was only human and even though he'd decided against asking her out on a proper date, he couldn't bring himself to stop leaving coffee on her desk, nor could he help himself from stealing the occasional glance of her as she worked outside of Mike's office.

She caught him once, watching as she typed something on her computer. He'd been working with Mike for hours and they weren't making any progress, so he found himself gazing out the office door at the red head as she worked. He was about to look away when her eyes caught and locked on to his before they both looked away, caught.

What he didn't know was that she assumed he caught her in that moment, stealing a glimpse of him while he worked with Mike, as she often did.

.

.

Sometime in mid-December, a fellow associate tells him Jessica wants to see him as he's about to head home for the night.

"You wanted to see me?" he asks.

"Yes Harvey, come in, take a seat and shut the door" she gestures towards the vacant seat across from her own.

Shutting the door, he nervously takes a seat and folds his hands in his lap, "What can I do for you?" he asks.

"Do you know a William Harper?" she asks.

"Not particularly, why?" he fiddles with his thumbs.

"He's an associate I'm considering hiring and he was in your class" she stares him straight in the eye as the sentence leaves her mouth.

He gulps, he should have known this was going to happen eventually. Struggling to maintain his composure, he forces a smile and replies with an over-exaggerated "Ohhh Bill Harper, of course I know Bill. I haven't heard someone call him William in ages."

"That's odd, because he introduced himself as William" Jessica studies the associate.

"Maybe he's decided to go by William, more professional" Harvey reasons.

"Perhaps" Jessica purses her lips.

"I think he'd be a great associate, extremely smart, very quick learner" Harvey grins at her, keeping up his charade.

"I'll keep that in mind, thanks Harvey" she nods, excusing him.

"Happy to help" he mumbles, letting himself out of her office.

Once he's halfway down the hall he lets out the breath he'd been holding, and panic starts to take hold of him. What if she knew? Or worse, what if she hired this prick from Harvard who had no idea who he was? He makes a beeline towards Mike's office to tell him about what just happened but stops when he spots Donna alone in the office, singing along with a song playing off her phone.

"You make everything so clear"

He smiles as he recognizes the line he wrote on last weeks coffee cup and watches as she dances around the desk placing paper's in their spots, singing along to the words of the song. Suddenly he forgets about why he was there, the crippling fear rushing out of him as he watches the red head twirl around the office, getting louder as the song goes on.

"And I'm getting closer than I ever thought I MIGGHHHTTTT"

She twirls around to face her desk, the desk he's leaning on, smirking as he watches her and stands, mouth hung open staring back at him. I can't fight this feeling anymore.

"Don't stop now" his smirk widens.

"How long have you been standing there?" she panics, fiddling with the hem of her dress as she puts the last stack of papers down on Mike's desk and reaches for her cellphone to cut the music.

"Long enough" he winks, and the music is abruptly cut off before the second chorus.

"I thought I was alone" she explains.

"I figured" he teases.

Grabbing her bag, she moves towards the door he is now standing in, expecting him to step aside and let her pass but he holds his ground, leaving the two of them a foot apart in the doorway to Mike's office.

"You downloaded the songs" he smiles down at her, which causes her cheeks to redden.

"I did" she says hesitantly, glancing past him to see if he would take the hint and move. He doesn't.

"You have good music taste, who knew" she teases, finally brushing past him and into the hall where she grabs her coat and tosses it over her shoulder.

"Don't sound so surprised…"

Still slightly embarrassed to have been caught listening to the playlist he indirectly gave her while dancing in her boss' office, she says she has to get going and excuses herself. Midway to the elevator she hears him call out,

"Do you have a favourite?"

She turns to look back at him and replies, "I thought it was obvious… But, I can't fight this feeling" before heading out for the evening.

Ya, me either, he thinks to himself, plopping down onto Mike's couch with a sigh. He'd nearly forgotten why he went looking for Mike in the first place, and there was something to be said about a woman who could make him forget that type of paralyzing fear in an instant. No, she doesn't see you that way, she's your boss' secretary, he reminds himself. But damn, he was having one hell of a time fighting his feelings for her.

.

.

Mike reacted exactly how Harvey imagined he would, calm and rational, explaining that there was no need to panic just yet. Donna offered a supportive line of encouragement over the intercom and while Harvey knew she was listening as he filled Mike in, he was still caught off guard when her voice filled the office.

"Donna, you know how I feel about that stupid thing!" Mike calls out the door at her.

"Sorry!" she yells back.

Mike and Harvey go back to work on their case when Donna appears at the door, "Mike"

"See, was that so terrible" Mike jokes.

"Rachel is here to see you" she smirks back as he face pales.

"Oh-um, send her in." he mumbles as Rachel enters behind Donna, "Harvey can you give us a minute?"

"Sure thing" Harvey grins at his boss and follows Donna back to her desk.

"I would pay to be a fly on that wall" Harvey whispers to Donna over her desk.

"Well then pay up" she smiles as she clicks on the intercom button.

*intercom*

"I was wondering if you would mind looking over these. I've gone over them a million times and come up empty handed but I figured with your expertise maybe we'll find what we're looking for."

"Sure, I could um, take a look."

"So far so good" Harvey muses as Rachel mulls over the details of the case with Mike.

"That little girl that I saw you with in the lobby a few weeks back, is that your…"

"Daughter. That was my daughter, Claire."

They watch Mike show a picture to Rachel on his phone, which causes Rachel to smile and Mike flips through a few more.

"She's adorable. And she's lucky, she has your eyes"

Donna and Harvey are now watching with prying eyes, because if the tension over the intercom is this loaded neither can imagine what it must be like in Mike's office. Harvey leans over Donna's shoulder and they watch as Rachel's stare lingers on Mike's and her hand comes to rest on his knee.

"Oh my…"

"God" Harvey finishes for Donna just as an irritable buzzing sounds in the office, disrupting the moment Mike and Rachel were having and startling both Harvey and Donna.

"Way to go" Donna swats Harvey's arm off her desk and the intercom button he hit to cause the alarming sound.

"Wow I really am the worst wing-man ever" he pouts.

Rachel leaves the office and smiles towards the pair, who all but sprint into Mike's office once she's out of sight.

"You two weren't listening in on my conversation, were you?" Mike eyes them.

"We would never" Dona exclaims with dramatic horror.

"Who am I kidding you listen to every conversation I have in here… Is there a reason…"

"For the moment killer, yeah, ask your associate" she laughs and saunters out of the office back to her desk.

"I may have accidentally put my hand on the intercom button" Harvey admits with a shrug.

"I knew I hated that thing for a reason" Mike chuckles, "Don't worry about it, it's never going to go anywhere anyways, I told you dating someone you work with never ends well."

Harvey looks up and locks eyes with Donna, knowing she's still listening to their conversation, he turns back towards Mike and adds, "You don't think it could be worth it?"

"I don't think it's worth the risk" Mike replies.

"Not even if what you feel with her, is unlike anything you've ever felt before? What if there's a connection there that is unparalleled, and you just want to grab her and tell her how special you think she is…" he looks away from her and down at his shoe.

"Are we still talking about Rachel?"

"Who else would I be talking about?"

Mike, with his back to Donna, moves his eyes in her direction and Harvey blushes, he hadn't realized his boss was aware of his feelings for the red head.

"Here's my take on it" Mike begins, "I think that everyone plays the game differently. Some people are risk takers, and to those people I say bask in the glory of being comfortable enough to put it all on the line for a maybe, but others, like myself, we like to play it safe. There's comfort in what's familiar and to me, I'd rather not risk the constants in my life for a maybe. Everyone is different Harvey, and no one thing is best for everyone, it's circumstantial. I've already risked it all for my maybe and look how that turned out for me. I'm divorced and I'm hardly thirty. So yes, I'm comfortable playing it safe at this stage in my life." Mike pats Harvey on the shoulder and moves to exit his office.

"Just so you know, if I were to do it all over again when I was your age, I would still risk it all for my maybe" he offers the younger man a small smile before leaving.

"Donna, can you make sure I've cleared my calendar for the staff Christmas party?" Mike asks as he approaches her desk, snapping her out of her daydream.

"But I thought you hated the staff Christmas party?"

"I thought I would try something new" he grins.

"Rachel asked if you were going and you said yes, didn't you?"

"Yes" he mumbles.

"Calendar is cleared, and I'll be sure to order you a new suit" she sends him a sincere smile.

"I don't think that's necessary"

He's met with a 'yes it is' eye roll and concedes, telling her she might as well add a tie.

.

.

"Are you going to this thing tomorrow?" he asks, leaning across the top of her desk.

"What thing tomorrow?" she teases, pretending to ignore him.

"Common Donna, you know what I'm talking about."

"Do I?"

"You're impossible" he throws his hands up and then turns back towards her desk.

"Donna" he tries again.

"Yes" she grins up at him.

"Are you going to the Christmas party tomorrow?" he flashes a toothy smile at her sarcastically.

"Depends on who's asking" she flirts.

"I'm asking" he flirts back with the tilt of his head.

God, she loved their banter. It came and went but he'd been avoiding her since his conversation in Mike's office a few weeks prior and she missed this.

"I'm going to make an appearance, but I can't stay long I have to catch a flight to my moms for the holidays" she finally answers his question.

"Which is where?"

"Florida"

"So, you get to spend Christmas in a bikini, totally not fair" he teases before falling silent.

"Are you picturing me in a bikini right now?"

"Maybe" he smirks, knowing he's playing with fire.

"Get out of here" she laughs, shooing him away from her desk.

"See you tomorrow night!" he calls back over his shoulder.

.

.

"You look beautiful" he greets her at her desk.

"Thank you" she blushes, looking down at her floor length sleeveless emerald gown.

"I was a little bit hesitant to wear this because it shows just how many freckles I have" she adds, examining her own arms.

"I've always loved your freckles, they remind me of the constellations"

"Like the stars? How can freckles remind you of stars"

"Let me see your arm" he reaches for her arm and gently traces his fingers across a set of freckles on her forearm, sending a shiver down her spine and causing her heart to pick up its pace.

"See these here?" he looks up at her, hand still lingering over her outstretched arm, "That is Orion" his eyes stay locked on hers, studying her softening expression as he continues.

"And these, over here" his index finger grazes over a few freckles near her elbow which causes all of her senses to come alive, goosebumps rising across her arm.

"This is Cassiopea, the most beautiful constellation. Pretty fitting for you" he blushes, hand still hovering against hers.

"What do you mean, fitting for me?" she asks, causing him to once again lock eyes with hers and she watches as he gulps, his thumb tracing a small circle across the back of her hand

"I guess I just mean something that beautiful should be seen one someone equally as beautiful"

"You think I'm…?"

"There you are!" Mike calls as he strolls passed Donna's desk and motions for Harvey to follow him into his office. Harvey let's his hand slowly fall from where it was brushing against Donna's and reluctantly follows Mike into his office. He looks back at her one his way into the office and finds her staring back at him. What just happened out there? He swore they'd just had a moment, but she wasn't interested in him that way so maybe he was reading into it. Besides, he didn't think of her in that way, they were friends and nothing more. Would he like to date Donna? Absolutely. But she'd made it clear she thought of them as strictly colleagues and he had moved on. Yes, he had absolutely moved on.

"Thank you for that" Harvey complains as he shuts the door to Mike's office behind them and watches Donna make her way downstairs to the party.

"For what?" Mike smiles back at him innocently.

"You know what."

"Just returning the favour" Mike smirks.

"Asshole" Harvey rolls his eyes which causes Mike to laugh.

"I thought you told me last week you agreed that dating a co-worker would be a terrible idea?" Mike questions.

"I did…"

"Well?"

"Maybe I changed my mind" Harvey sighs, mind wandering back to the way that green fabric hugged every curve on her body.

"I'm only going to say this once, because I'm your boss but also because this is probably the only time you and I will ever be in this office without Donna listening to our conversation, I've seen the way she looks at you and I think you'd be crazy not to go for it. But, make sure it's what you really want, because I can't have two employees who hate each other, understand?"

"I understand" Harvey nods.

"Perfect, then let's get going" Mike grins and straightens his bow tie as he and Harvey head to the party.

.

.

The office holiday party was being held in one of the meeting rooms in the lobby of the building and is already crawling with people when Mike and Harvey step off the elevator. The building was decorated in a sea of silver and white, making her red locks easy to spot amongst the crowd. Deep in a conversation with Rachel and her secretary, she hardly notices when he and Mike join them at the bar.

"Some party" Harvey says, coming up behind her.

"They really did go all out, didn't they?"

"I hate to be that guy, but…" Mike smirks and points to the mistletoe dangling above his associate and his secretary. Harvey was so going to get him back for this, this is not how he wanted this to happen. He always imagined when he finally had the chance to kiss her, it would be spontaneous and passionate. His hands would get lost in her hair as he pulled her body against his.

"Harvey" Mike snaps him out of his daydream and he looks down at Donna, who is staring back at him, doe-eyed, waiting to see what his reaction to Mike's observation would be. Searching her hazel eyes, he looks for any sign of discomfort and finds none, instead he finds longing and lust.

"Tradition is tradition" he chuckles, delicately placing his hands on her hips and leaning down to place a soft kiss on her lips. Before his lips can find hers, she panics and turns her head, which results in him placing a tender kiss on her cheek instead. Her entire body flushes at the contact, and she notices the goosebumps on his arm match her own as he pulls back slowly and opens his eyes.

The band begins to play a soft jazz rendition of 'Baby It's Cold Outside' and Rachel boldly steps towards Mike and asks him to dance, an invitation he awkwardly accepts and follows her onto the dance floor. With his hands still on her hips, Harvey leans over and whispers into her ear, "Dance with me."

"I don't know Harvey…"

"After that kiss, the least you can do is give me the honour of one dance" he teases her, taking her hand and pulling her towards the dance floor.

"Besides, you still owe me one from Halloween"

She smiles and wraps her palms around the base of his neck as he begins to move them to the music, his hands wrapping around her lower back. Unlike the modest position he sees Mike holding Rachel in, with his hands placed on either side of her hips, Harvey allows himself to wrap Donna in his arms and hold her close so that his mouth rests slightly above her ear. Neither of them speak as they sway to the music, because no words are necessary. Having her in his arms, he's never felt more whole.

"I'm really glad you decided to come tonight" he whispers.

"Me too" she replies, and he can feel her smile against his cheek.

The song comes to an end and the band switches to a more upbeat tune as the room comes alive. Harvey watches as Mike excuses himself from the dance floor and heads back towards the bar, Donna still in his arms. Rather than releasing her from his hold, he twirls her away from him and back into his body which causes her to giggle.

"I didn't know you could dance" she smiles as he twirls her again, before beginning to move them in a series of actual steps to the music.

"I'm full of surprises" he grins, leading her three steps left and turning her to face away from him. She shimmies her back against him as he works his hands down from her shoulders to her thighs, her hands reaching back behind her to once again find his neck. Twirling her once more, he forcefully pulls her against him and rests his nose against hers, pausing as they studied each other's eyes. He sees a look in her eye that he recognizes, it's the same look she gave him under the mistletoe, a longing look. He tilts his head and moves in slightly when says, "I should get going, I wouldn't want to miss my flight."

"Right, of course" he drops his hands and gestures for her to lead the way off the dance floor.

"Thank you, for the dance. I'm just going to head upstairs and grab my bag before I call a cab" she smiles and presses the elevator button.

"I'm going to take off too, I'll join you and grab my coat" he says, stepping into the elevator with her and hitting the button for the 47th and 50th floor; the associate's floor and the floor where her desk was located.

An awkward silence fills the tiny metal box as it begins its ascent. Donna awkwardly plays with her loose curls and Harvey tries his best to avoid saying something he'll regret.

"So, you dance" she finally caves and breaks the silence.

"I do" he answers, turning towards her.

He tests the waters and reaches out to tuck a stray strand of hair behind her ear, watching as her breath hitches when his hand grazes her cheek.

The elevator dings indicating his stop, he reaches out an arm to hold the door and turns to face her. Stepping towards her he softly says, "Merry Christmas, Donna" and places a soft peck on her cheek. Before he has the chance to step out of the elevator, she tugs him forward by the tie, lips crashing into his. It takes a few seconds before he realizes what's happening and he kisses her back with everything he has, hands in her hair as he backs her against the wall with a thud. Kissing her is greater than anything he could have imagined, it's as though every nerve in his body has come alive and he wants to taste every inch of her. She tastes of vanilla, champagne and something he can't quite put his finger on. Her fingers work to loosen his tie as his tongue slips past hers. The elevator dings again, indicating the 50th floor and Donna reluctantly breaks their kiss. He steps aside so she can exit, knowing she had somewhere to be, mind still stuck on that incredible kiss that was cut way too short in his opinion.

"I'm sorry Harvey, I really need to catch my flight" she sighs, leaning forward to place a tender kiss on his cheek, "Merry Christmas."

And with that she steps off the elevator and the doors close behind her, leaving Harvey to hit the button for the 47th floor in a daze. By time the elevator reaches his floor, he'd come to the conclusion that after a kiss like that, there was no way he could let his feelings for her go. Jabbing the button for the 50th floor as many times as he can, he impatiently taps his foot as the elevator takes what seems like an eternity to ascend. He practically sprints down the hall to her desk, his heart shattering when he finds it empty, she must have already headed home for the holidays. He sinks into her chair and drops his head into his hands, she was the one who initiated that kiss and there was no way she didn't feel it to, the connection they shared. But if she had, wouldn't they still be in each other's arms?

Down on the 47th floor, Donna practically dashes to the bull pen searching for Harvey. Her mind was racing a mile a minute, why did she kiss him? But, he kissed her back, so why hadn't she kissed him sooner? By the time she reached her desk the only thing she was certain of was the fact that stepping off of that elevator was the only mistake she had made that evening, hence her frantic search for Harvey on the 47th floor. She'd never felt so elated, so alive. She wanted, no needed, to kiss him again. Her heart dropped when she found his desk empty and sinking into his chair she sighs to herself. Maybe he really wasn't into her, that way. If he was already gone, that kiss probably didn't have the same effect on him as it did on her. If it had, wouldn't they still be doing it?

That's all for Ch3! If you enjoyed reading along please do leave a review, they really help motivate the writing process! xx


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